Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Schiffman received his B.S. degree with High Honors in biology from Hobart College in 1976. He then moved to Chicago where he studied biochemistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle. He attended Rush Medical College where he received his M.D. degree in 1982 and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the University of California, Irvine.
Bronchiectasis is a term that describes damage to the walls of the large
airways, or bronchial tubes, of the lung. Inflammation due to infection or other
causes destroys the smooth muscles that allow the bronchial tubes to be elastic
and prevents secretions that are normally made by lung tissue to be cleared.
Normal branching of the airways of the lung demonstrates a gentle taper that
occurs at each branch point, like the branches of a tree. This tapering results
in decreased resistance in the larger branches, enabling mucus or other objects
to be funneled to the larger airways and eventually, with a cough, ejected out
through the mouth. Loss of this normal anatomic tapering of the airways by
damage due to inflammation causes the walls of the airways to be irregularly
shaped. Secretions tend to pool in the distorted airways rather than be
expelled, and these stagnant secretions are a breeding ground for bacterial
growth. These bacteria, in turn, cause further irritation and inflammation,
airway damage, and hence more secretions, initiating a "vicious cycle" of
damage. This increases the risk of infections to spread directly into the
airspaces of the lungs resulting in pneumonia.
Bronchiectasis is a form of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
which also includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Bronchiectasis can be
present alone, but usually more than one of the aforementioned components of
COPD coexist in the same person.
Congenital bronchiectasis may occur due to a genetic defect such as occurs in
cystic fibrosis. Usually, the disease Alpha-1 antiprotease (alpha 1-
antitrypsin) deficiency results in emphysema, but bronchiectasis can occur as
well in this condition. An embryologic defect in the airway cilia, so-called
immotile cilia syndrome, is another cause of bronchiectasis and is often
associated with situs inversus, in which the major organs are in a reversed
position (for example, the heart is on the right).
Pediatric lung infections may ultimately lead to lung destruction and
bronchiectasis later in life. Therefore prevention is an important part of
treatment, including adequate immunizations and avoidance of secondhand smoke
and other toxic fumes.
Bronchiectasis is characterized by an increased amount of sputum production
(mucus produced and coughed up from the lung), recurrent infections, and gradual
loss of lung function leading to shortness of breath.
Common symptoms of bronchiectasis include recurrent cough and sputum production. Usually the
mucus is clear, but it may be bloody due to bronchial wall injury or green or
yellow if infection is present. Shortness of breath and fatigue develop as lung
function decreases. Wheezing may or may not be present.
Bronchiectasis may occur due to another underlying disease. Symptoms of that
primary disease may also be present. For example, a patient with tuberculosis
may have bloody sputum, fever,
chills, and night sweats. A
person with
Crohn's disease may have abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Congenital bronchiectasis often becomes apparent because of recurrent
pneumonia.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Symptoms include weakness, fever, weight loss, night sweats and
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease,
primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can
affect other parts of the digestive
Pneumonia is inflammation of one or both lungs with consolidation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always due to infection. The infection may be bacterial,
A pulmonary embolism occurs when a piece of a blood clot from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) breaks off and travels to an artery in the lung where it blocks
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is closely
Cystic fibrosis is a disease of the mucus and sweat glands. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease. The outcome of the disease leaves the body malnourished,
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette
Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia,
Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of the pressure in the pulmonary circulation caused by the constriction of the blood vessels that supply
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COPD mainly involves three related conditions,
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative
Heart failure is caused by many conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and conditions that overwork the heart. Symptoms
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that may cause liver and lung disease in adults. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath,
Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as
If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia.
Bronchoscopy is a procedure during in which an examiner
uses a viewing tube to evaluate a patient's lung and
airways including the voice box and vocal cord, trachea,
and many branches of bronchi. Bronchoscopy"...
